1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the mattress art and, more particularly, to an improved camping mattress having a built-in pillow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many applications, such as outdoor camping and the like, it is desired to have a sleeping mattress to place upon the ground to be between the user and the ground surface. Such mattresses provide both an insulation from, for example, the colder temperature of ground as well as comfort. Such mattresses in the past have often been comprised of a flexible, non-stretchable, air-tight outer fabric covering and an inner, resilient plastic foam. In many of such prior art mattresses, the inner plastic foam was an open-cell polyurethane foam and all six exterior surfaces thereof were bonded to the flexible outer covering.
The flexible outer covering generally comprised a nylon outermost layer with one or more plastic layers interior of the nylon layer. The innermost plastic layer was a thermoplastic layer and the bonding of the polyurethane foam to the thermoplastic layer was done by the application of heat and pressure from a moveable platen compressing the foam and forcing the fabric layer into intimate contact with the surfaces of the foam. Such mattresses were generally termed "fully bonded, thermally bonded mattresses" and a valve was provided in the fabric covering to allow the entrance and exit of air from the open cell foam as the mat was rolled or unrolled so that the mat was self inflating. The valve could be closed to prevent the entrance of air to or exit of air from the foam as desired.
Many of the prior art camping mattresses generally did not have a pillow portion having a transverse thickness greater than the thickness of the rest of the mattress to provide the comfort of a pillow to the user. While some prior art mattresses have attempted to provide such a thicker portion generally termed a "head portion" or a "pillow portion," such prior art mattresses have not been completely satisfactory in that delamination of the fabric covering from the foam in regions adjacent the head portion often occurred in use, wrinkles or other unsightly blemishes occurred in the region of the change from the thickness of the head portion to the thickness of the body portion of the foam and, where two separate foam portions were utilized, one for the head portion and one for the body portion, a gap often occurred in the finished product because of the change in length of the portions when compressed by the platen.
It is desired, of course, that the pillow provide a "softer" feel to the user than the body portion just as, in conventional beds, a pillow provides a softer portion for the head of the user than the mattress and/or mattress/boxspring combination.
Further, it will be appreciated, that for camping applications it is desired to have as low a weight as possible for the mattress since very often backpackers, hikers, or the like must carry all of their equipment with them in their activities.
Therefore, there has long been the need for a camping mattress that is comparatively lightweight, self inflating, and provided with a comfortable pillow portion and comfortable body portion.